1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a photographic camera, and more particularly to an improvement in a film feed system in which power is transmitted between a film magazine chamber and a film take-up chamber which are disposed on opposite sides of a viewfinder system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a typical photographic camera, the film loaded in the film magazine chamber is fed through the film window for exposure and taken up around a film take-up spool in the film take-up chamber each time a picture is taken. In the camera of this type, the film taken up around the take-up spool is rewound into the film magazine in the film magazine chamber for development after all the frames in the film are exposed.
Recently, in some cameras, the whole film loaded in the film magazine chamber is once taken up into the film take-up chamber before exposure and then rewound into the film magazine in the film magazine chamber through the film window for exposure one frame by one frame each time a picture is taken.
Recently, in major cameras, the film is taken up or rewound by use of a power unit such as an electric motor. In the cameras of this type, the power unit is connected with the film magazine chamber and the film take-up chamber by way of a power transmission mechanism such as a gear train to drive the film spool of the film magazine in the film magazine chamber and/or the film take-up spool in the film take-up chamber.
There has been an increasing demand for miniaturization of cameras from the viewpoint of portability. Though there has been known a mini size camera using a special small size film, there is a problem that resolution of the picture deteriorates and sharpness of the image deteriorates as the film size decreases and at the same time such a special small size film is less available.
Accordingly, it is preferred that the camera be miniaturized while using common films. From this point of view, it is necessary to miniaturize even the power unit and/or the power transmission system.
As the power transmission system, there has been used a gear train extending between the film magazine chamber and the film take-up chamber. Conventionally, the gear train is disposed in the uppermost portion of the camera body in order to avoid interference with the viewfinder system disposed between the film magazine chamber and the film take-up chamber, or is arranged so that portions of the power transmission system on opposite sides of the viewfinder is connected by a power transmission shaft which extends below the optical system of the viewfinder system and the taking lens system bypassing them.
However, when the uppermost portion of the camera body is occupied by the gear train of the power transmission system, miniaturization of the camera is limited by the gear train, and when the portions of the power transmission system on opposite sides of the viewfinder is connected by a power transmission shaft bypassing the optical system of the viewfinder system and the taking lens system, power transmitting efficiency deteriorates.